There are lots of ways we can have accidents from falling off a log to getting pregnant. But an accidental binge!? That’s a new one on me. But it happened. I was chomping away at my lunch earlier this week, a salt beef, gherkin, blue cheese and salad sandwich on rye bread. Reading while eating I ate the entire thing which I’d cut up into quarters as I always eat sandwiches that way. Feels like I’m eating more. My calorie allowance allowed for two quarters, half a sandwich. Well before I knew it I’d gobbled up the entire thing! And realised in shock horror that the calories I counted for my lunch had now doubled. And the really annoying thing was that I didn’t even consciously say to self, ah sod it I’m going to eat the whole thing and enjoy it. I just ate till it was all gone and barely registered I’d eaten twice the amount I was supposed to!
At that point I’d had my entire day’s allowance by the end of my lunch. I don’t believe in skipping meals as it’s both psychologically and physically unhealthy. So I knew I’d be over for the day. I didn’t use the accidental binge to carry on over eating. I had the tea I’d planned. The following day I’d gained a pound and a half. Which I’ve now taken back off. So no real lasting damage done but a lesson learned. I over ate because I was reading an engrossing article at the time - the contents of which I now don’t recall. This is why I’ve said in previous Substacks it’s best when you eat to just eat. Don’t combine it with watching TV, reading a newspaper article, book or chatting with a dining companion. Eat alone. Say to yourself, “I am eating. I am enjoying this. I will make the most of this meal so I register that I am eating and then I’ll know I have eaten, I won’t need to eat again for a while and I can get on with the rest of my day.”
Eating out
I always used to enjoy eating out with friends. Or eating in with friends. I’m convinced it’s the loveliest way to be sociable but it doesn’t help a diet as the chatter may prevent you from registering what you’re eating. In my thinner days I used to plan for meals out by cutting calories during the day and making up for it the day after. That said there was a time in my life when I ate out a lot and yet kept my weight down. Perhaps if you eat out a lot the novelty isn’t so great so you don’t feel the need to go mad, make the most of it because it’s a common rather than rare occurrence? I hardly ever eat out now. I’ve lost that desire. I like to control what I eat. Make my own meals and eat when I want to. But you can still order in so the pleasure of someone else cooking for you isn’t entirely lost. Also, and please don’t judge me for this, I sometimes order in lunch! I’ve even been known to have breakfast delivered - though as part of a larger food delivery. It’s a deliciously decadent thing to do and because of that I think you’re less inclined to over eat because half the fun is getting it brought to you.
Those Christmas days!
It’s now four weeks till I stop my daily weigh-ins and just let myself go over Christmas. My weight is fairly steady right now. I’m higher than I want to be but I am stable and that’s healthy for both mind and body. I’m assuming I’ll gain four to five pounds over Christmas. No point hoping I won’t. But having a few treats between now and Christmas rather than saving them up for those Christmas days may be a way to avoid over indulging during the festive season? (And by the way the plural, Christmas days is deliberate because it’s not just one day is it!?) If you deny yourself all the treats you want till Christmas, once it arrives the urge to go bananas may be impossible to ignore. So I end with this. Have some chocolate now! If chocolate is your thing. Or wine, cheese, whatever it is you mostly deny yourself while trying to lose weight. Don’t wait for the Christmas days to have your treats. Spread it out. And maybe that way you won’t go too overboard during the calorie-filling Christmas days. I’m going to try that this year and see how it goes.
More next month.